


Her First Steps

by FlameOf



Series: The Heart of Matters [2]
Category: Splatoon
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Some rather graphic ideas, Unfortunate Implications
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-07-11 20:45:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19934233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlameOf/pseuds/FlameOf
Summary: The first step one takes to moving on is always the hardest; filled with turmoil and pain. Each step afterwards is surprisingly easier, in comparison.





	Her First Steps

A lone Octoling stepped off the train, and onto the station platform of Inkopolis Square. Her nerves were starting to get the better of her, but she still chose to push forward.

She was certainly drawing a lot of attention, just by how she dressed. Her attire consisted of the Full Moon Glasses, Crustwear XXL, and a Friendship Bracelet. The part that drew the most attention was the bracelet, since it meant she was walking around barefoot.

This particular, green eyed, poofy tentacled Octopod, was known as Octi. Unlike most Octolings, she had been living on the surface for going on eleven years. Through those eleven years, she had come to develop a rather timid personality. Understandable, considering she's been living among her 'enemies'. As such, she has spent most of her time as a bit of a shut in, only going out for routine exercise and light shopping. For the most part, her only interactions were with her adoptive parents and younger brother.

Well, up until a few days ago, when said brother -an Inkling by the name of Basic- introduced her to his new friends; a group of Inklings and Octolings known as Team Bangaichi. She really found it odd that they were named after the Octarian word whose closest translation meant 'nowhere'.

After that interaction (where they were trying to put together a live performance for a friend of theirs), the finals to an already infamous tournament known as the Square Jokers Cup came up, and a certain song had played. She had only heard about that song before that day, but, much like what she had heard other Octolings say, it had opened her eyes.

That, and the sheer amount of fun that everyone had during those finals, had finally managed to sell her on the idea of Turf Wars.

Still, she was very nervous. She felt like everyone was watching her. To an extent, though, they kind of were, if only for the fact that she wasn't wearing shoes.

Stepping into the square proper, Octi was blinded by all the bright lights, namely that big one we call 'the sun'. Still, it was rather breathtaking to see it all. She had never really stepped into these 'hub' areas before, so everything was very much new to her.

So new, in fact, that while she was so distracted, she accidentally walked into someone.

“Oh!” she exclaimed. “I'm so...”

She froze when she saw who it was she bumped into. They were a red eyes Inkling sporting the 'mush cut' hair do, and dressed in what she believed was the Takoroka Nylon Vintage and Orca Hi-Tops. Octi's first thought was 'is Basic going through a punk phase?' before realising that A: this wasn't her brother, and B: this guys is scary. Like, really scary. The sort of scary where you'd think they'd kill you just for sneezing in their general direction from a football court lengths away.

Octi stammered over a few words for a moment, before dashing off in the other direction, leaving the Inkling to look on in confusion.

“What the heck just happened?” the Inkling asked himself. “That was just plain weird.”

“Yo, Vintage!” someone called. “You coming, or what?”

“Hold your seahorses, Double Egg,” the one known as Vintage replied.

Double Egg was an Inkling wearing the Double Egg Shades, Custom Painted F-3, Amber Sea Slug Hi-Tops, and the 'spikey-haired' style to his tentacles. “So, who was that?” he asked. “Your girlfriend, or something?”

Vintage lightly jabbed Double Egg on the forehead. “Don't be ridiculous,” he replied. “I've never met that girl before in my life. Don't know what her deal was.”

“Intimidated fan, maybe?”

Vintage shrugged. Although he didn't let it show, he was concerned that was the case. “It'll have to be a problem for later,” he decided. “Come on, we've got matches to get to.”

“More Turf War?” Double Egg asked. “You've certainly been on a binge for that, haven't you? What brought this on, anyway?”

“Have you forgotten that we had our beaks kicked in?” Vintage shot back. “We need to go back to the basics.”

“Was this because of the kid with your hairdo, or the one who called you out on 'not having fun'?”

“Both, in a way. It was more than just them out playing us that day; they enjoyed every minute they were together. I feel a desire for us to learn that.”

“And yet, we're still on a bit of a losing streak.”

Vintage shot a small smirk to his team mate. “And yet, even then, we haven't been the slightest bit salty about it.”

Double Egg chuckled. “So you admit to being a salty person?”

Vintage jabbed him on the forehead again. “Come on, Egg-head. We've matches to get to.”

* * *

  
  


Octi came to a stop, finally allowing herself to catch her breath in the safe confides of the lobby.

“That... that was scary,” she muttered. “I thought... he was going to kill me.”

“Who was?” someone asked, causing her to shriek. “Whoa! Sorry. Didn't mean to scare ya, there.”

Octi slowly turned around, to see an Inkling girl with short hair and amber eyes, dressed in the King Flip Mesh, White King Tank, and Mint Darkroniks. “S... sorry,” Octi appologised. “I'm... just a bit jumpy today.”

“Hey, I get it, really,” the girl responded. “You new around? Don't think I've ever seen you on the field.”

“I... I am, yes,” she replied. “I was... hoping to re...register.”

The girls face lit up, ever so briefly. “Sweet! I'll get you signed up, then.” She began tapping away at the computer beside her. “Name's Mesh, by the way. I'm an commentator for Turf Wars when Off the Hook ain't on. What's your name, squiddo?”

“O...Octi,” she replied. “I'm... Octi.”

“Octi, huh? One of those with a new fad name, then,” Mesh stated. “Alright, how about your age, then?”

“Tw... twenty-one.”

This caused Mesh to raise a brow. “Huh. Don't usually get people starting _that_ late, but whatevs.” She pressed the enter key once. “Alright. While we wait for this to finalise and print off your Splat Battle ID, we'll send you through the basic training, alright?”

Octi nodded and was let to a side room that had an ink tank and a Splattershot Jr. Despite it having been eleven years since she last wore one, Octi managed to strap the ink tank on rather easily. Stepping through the next door, she found herself back outside.

“Alright, you ready?” Mesh said, taking position in a small booth nearby. “Just go through the course, and pop any balloons you see, got it?”

Octi nodded, and a small buzzer sounded. One balloon spawned in front of her, and she shot her first shot in eleven years, and felt a sense of accomplishment for it.

* * *

  
  


Roughly three minutes later, Octi returned to the lobby with Mesh, and was handed a card.

“Well then, you're all good to go,” Mesh stated. “This card is basically your new ID and credit card, all rolled into one. It'll pretty much do everything.”

“Is... is that it?” Octi asked. “That training felt... bare bones.”

“Yeah, it kinda is,” Mesh admitted, “but that's just because most things are learnt best in the heat of the moment.” She pointed out a particularly large double door. “Through there is the match-making system. Once you're through there, you'll be paired up with however many other 'pods you need for a full eight-person match. Fair warning, though; the system's bullsquid. You're more than likely to get set up against actual professionals, or paired up with cephalo-flopping idiots. Just a word of warning.”

“O...okay?” Octi really didn't know how to respond to that. Mainly due to the fact that she didn't know what the heck 'cephalo-flopping' was. “Well, th...thank you for... helping me.”

“Nah, don't sweat it,” Mesh waved off. “Just have fun, ya hear?”

Octi stepped through the large door, and in the blink of an eye, she found herself at Humpback Pump Track. Was it always this fast? Maybe she just got luckly.

She took a look at her new team, and noticed that they all had the same Chilli Octo Aloha shirt, and each was wielding some form of Roller.

This... wasn't good team composition. Her first round, and she was the one with all the range?

_'It'll... it'll be alright,'_ she told herself. _'Maybe... maybe they're just skilled enough to do something like this?'_

The moment the buzzer sounded, though, they defied all expectations, and proceeded to continuously shift into and out of squid form.

And thus, Octi was introduced to 'cephalo-flopping'. Or, as it's more commonly referred to; Squid Bagging.

Not sure what to do about this, Octi decided to just push forward, and leave those guys to their own devices.

First, she decided to push up the right side of the stage. Best to avoid direct confrontation with the enemy, after all.

The moment she rounded the corner (the one with that balloon barrier in the middle), she quickly doubled back into cover, to avoid getting seen by the Inkling carrying the Ballpoint Splatling.

It was, after all, the same guy she ran into earlier.

* * *

  
  


Vintage stood atop the centre tower, looking rather peeved.

“This makes what, the fifth match in the past seventeen that has involved Squid Parties?” he asked the universe in general. “Jesus Carp. If some greater being really wanted to screw us over, couldn't it have just given us stronger opponents?”

“Vintage, are you actually asking to have our beaks handed to us?” a female Inkling with the 'banger' style tentacles said. Her attire consisted most noticeably of the Omega-3 Tee and Toni Kensa Black Hi-Tops.

“I'm just saying I want a victory that feels earned, Omega,” Vintage shot back. “You've got to admit, a victory against people not actually fighting back is hollow at best.”

“Well, do I have some good news for you, mate,” Double Egg shouted. “Look at the map. Seems there's a kid on their side actually in it for the turfing.”

Vintage checked the map, and did notice that the side path had been coloured the opposing colour. “That poor soul,” Vintage couldn't help but mutter. “Red Sole, I'll leave them to you.”

The Inkling in question (dressed in Squid Clip-Ons, Annaki Blue Cuff, and Navy Red Sole Wingtips) let out an almost childish cheer, as she skipped off towards the side path.

“You're sending her to do it?” Omega asked. “The more crazed of our bunch?”

“It placates her,” Vintage replied. “Besides, she's less 'crazed' and more 'perverted', and you know it.”

“Still, you're enabling her.”

“You share a room, for Carp's sake.”

There was a slight shriek of surprise, followed by the sound of ink firing, yet no splatting.

“And your point is?”

“My point?” Vintage felt his brow twitch. Partly to do with Omega, and partly to do with the fact that Double Egg was currently laughing at them. “My point is, Omega, that you enable her just as much as I.”

“So, you don't deny your enabling choices,” Omega pointed out, smirking.

“Don't turn this back on me, woman,” Vintage glared. He took a sidelong glance down the side path, to notice Red Sole chasing her target past them. Said target, as it were, was an older girl in Full Moon Glasses, carrying a Splattershot Jr.

Said girl was also particularly familiar to Vintage.

“Yo, Vin,” Double Egg called out. “Wasn't that the girl who bumped into you this morning?”

“Looks to be,” he responded. “And a beginner, at that.”

“Moves quite well for one,” Omega noted.

* * *

  
  


At this point in time, Octi was freaking the hell out. Why was _this_ her first match?

It was bad enough that one of her opponents was someone she was probably on the bad side of, but now she was being chased by a pig-tailed girl who bore an expression of absolute glee. This was not how she expected her Monday to go.

A buzzer sounded, signalling the end of the match. It caught Octi off guard enough that she tripped and fell into the ink. A sudden sense of panic filled her, and she tried to push herself back up, only to find herself sink just a little deeper.

_Drowning. Struggling. She tried to breath, but found her lungs held down. Piercing. Bleeding. The wound in her side left her without strength._

_Slowly. Painfully. She prepared herself for death, until..._

A hand grabbed her arm, and pulled her out of the ink. She had to cough, just to get some of the ink out of her throat.

“Man, that was a spook,” the Inkling who was previously chasing her said. “The heck happened there?”

“So...sorry,” Octi apologised. “Just... slipped. Ink is... deeper than I thought.”

“It's only, like, six inches of sinking,” the Inkling in the Nylon Vintage said, as he and the rest of his team walked up. “Can't be that easy to drown in it.”

Instinct took over, and Octi ducked behind the nearest corner. The Inkling in the sunglasses burst out laughing. “Oh yeah, Vintage. She's scared of ya!”

'Vintage' gave his ally a glare. “I'm not _that_ scary,” he muttered, to the collective disagreement of the other three. Letting off a small growl, he walked up to Octi. “Look. Are you alright?” he asked. “Anything injured?”

Huh. Maybe he wasn't as bad as all that. “N...no. I'm... okay,” Octi managed to squeak out.

“Alright,” he stated, “good. This your first match?” She nodded in response. “Guessed as much. You avoided combat more than most. What's your name?”

“O...Octi.”

“Ooh! I like that name!” the girl with the pig-tails said excitedly. “I'm Red Sole!”

“What up? Name's Double Egg,” the sunglasses wearing Inkling added. “The other girl's Omega, and you already ran into Vintage.”

“I... have, yes,” she said meekly. “Um, sorry about... earlier.”

“It was nothing, really,” Vintage said. “So, would I be right to guess you need some help learning the basics of Splat Battles?”

Octi nodded, and Omega looked at her leader in surprise. “Vintage, are you suggesting what I think you're going to suggest?”

“That we take her under our wing, and show her the ropes? Yes,” Vintage stated plainly. “Who knows. It might just be the change of pace we need.”

“Um, are you sure?” Octi asked. “I... might just be a bother to you.”

“Nope. Already decided,” Red Sole stated. “No take backs. You're with us for now!”

* * *

  
  


As it turned out, playing Turf Wars along side the members of Team X-Blood wasn't all too bad, in Octi's opinion.

First of, thought, they had temporarily re-branded the team to 'New-Blood'. Rather appropriate, all things considered. Next, they had decided to work on a sort of rotation, so that Octi would have a chance to fight alongside each member. Through that, she managed to learn quite a bit about them.

First, was Vintage. Despite his rather hostile demeanour, he was actually a rather nice individual. His weapon of choice was the Ballpoint Splatling, with the Sub Toxic Mist, which he used quite effectively to help kite the opponents and set up splats. Also helped that he was a crack shot at long range.

Second came Omega. She used the Nautilus 79; a Splatling that could hold its charge. Despite the size of the weapon, Omega was able to use it as effectively as most skilled Squiffer users. And that's not to mention setting traps with Suction Bombs. Personality wise, she was a little distant with Octi at first, but after the first few matches, started to warm up.

Next up was Double Egg, the Dark Tetra Dualies main. He was... basically what she'd expect from an outgoing Inkling. Headstrong and cocky were his primary traits, but she could confirm that he was only like that because he trusted his team to have his back.

Lastly, then, was Red Sole. Octi could not get a read on Red Sole. On the battlefield, she was fierce, almost psychotic, yet off it, she was like a child, clinging to either Octi of Omega. She kind of reminded her of Basic when he was younger, in a way.

It was mid afternoon when they walked out of the lobby. “Now that's what I call a streak!” Double Egg stated. “We want to go any more, or will that be it for today?”

“We can probably fit an extra round or two in,” Omega stated, checking the time on her phone. “But first, I think some shopping is in order.”

“Shopping?” Octi asked. “What for?”

“You, really,” Omega answered. “You've managed to reach level seven with that last match, so you're pretty much good to get a weapon from any of the different types. On top of that, you'll probably also want to change your gear up. Full Ink Resistance Up will only get you so far.”

“I... if you're sure,” Octi meekly said.

“Girl, you're gonna be a fashion star by the time we're done!” Red Sole stated cheerfully, as she began dragging both Octi and Omega towards Ye Olde Cloth Shoppe. “You boys wait right there! Us girls are gonna be doing our thing!”

“Just try not to traumatise her too much,” Vintage shouted back.

* * *

  
  


Once the three were inside, Omega and Red Sole began spit-balling ideas. As it turned out, though, they had clashing ideas on fashion.

Red Soles was after a look that was more extravagant, while Omega had more tamer tastes. In essence, Red Soles was pushing for Parashooters, Dakro Golden Tee, and Enchanted Robe, while Omega was voting for the Forge Octarian Jacket, Front Zip Vest, and Icewave Tee.

“I'm telling you, the Robe will go amazing with her!” Red Soles protested. “She already has the glasses! Throw this on and she's basically Squiddy Potter!”

“And as always, Soles, your tastes are childish,” Omega retorted calmly. “Fashion isn't about simply cosplaying your childhood heroes; it's about sending a message, and standing out.”

“And you think the _Kensa_ brand is the brand that 'stands out'?” Red Soles stated. “At least some of my options have varied abilities! Yours just have Haunt, Ninja Squid, and Ink Res!”

That last part caused Octi's ears to perk up a bit. “W... which one has the Ink Resistance?”

“The Front Zip,” Omega responded, “but I'd suggest doing something about your foot gear if you want to go this route. You're already stacked on Ink Resistance as it is.”

That left her in sort of a conundrum: either start wearing shoes again, or try for a different shirt. The Front Zip Vest did look nice, she must admit. But, in the end, she chose the freedom of her toes. “How... how about the Icewave?” Octi wondered. “It's... a nice blue.”

Omega and Red Soles hummed as they tried to picture it. “This is going nowhere,” Omega concluded. “To the changing room we go!”

“Wait, wha...”

Octi barely got another word in, as the duo dragged her into the changing room. What followed would be best described as a 'hodge-podge of comedic, clothes removing sounds'. Jelfonzo, the Jellyfish who ran this place, simply stood there in bewilderment.

After a good minute, the three girls finally stepped out. Omega looked rather content with the results, Octi looked somewhat dizzy, and Red Soles looked... flustered.

“I have had an awakening,” Red Soles muttered. “I have had an awakening to end all awakenings.”

“Get over yourself, Soles,” Omega said. “You're literally the gayest person we know, and that's saying something, considering we've met Team Bangaichi.”

“I feel violated,” Octi muttered, readjusting her glasses.

“You're exaggerating,” Omega responded. “Still, it was a good call on the Icewave Tee. It suits you quite well.”

“I'mst glade thou hast made your choice,” Jelfonze stated. “Shall that be all?”

“Looks like it,” Omega replied, paying the needed amount. “Come on, the others are waiting on us.”

As they stepped out, they rejoined the boys. “Took your time,” Double Egg commented, “and might I say, it's a good choice there.” He let out a low whistle, causing Octi to blush.

Red Sole whacked Double Egg on the back of the head. “Back off, Egg-head. I called dibs.”

“Hey, can't I just appreciate a good look when I see it?”

“It... is nice,” Octi agreed, “but it's a bit... tight across the chest.”

Now, Double Egg and Red Sole were not, by any means, the smartest Inklings around; they usually left the big thinking and scheming to Omega and Vintage. Right now, though, given the situation, they knew better than to make any comment on the rather form fitting nature of her shirt with her decently sized 'assets'.

It's amazing where the brain power of some people go, isn't it?

“Will that be all, then?” Vintage asked. “Or is there more to get?”

“The glasses are also prescription, so they're off the table,” Omega replied. “And she's rather adamant about not wearing shoes, so I'd say we're done for now.”

“Nothing more to it, I guess,” Vintage shrugged. “Come on. Let's get one more game in, then call it a day. Should we get something to eat, first, though?”

“Galactic Shwaffle, triple fried,” Red Soles demanded.

“Seanwich over here!” Double Egg added.

“I'll take an Ink-Charge Melon,” Omega said.

Vintage took a few notes, before turning to Octi. “What about you? You want something?”

“I'll... pass, thanks,” she responded meekly. “I'm... not good with meats.”

“Vegetarian, got it,” Vintage dotted the end of his note. “Give me a few seconds, then, and I'll be back.”

* * *

  
  


Their next match took them to Starfish Mainstage, and their opponents were a team called Team Hockey. Their weapons of choice were two Splattershots, an Aerospray MG, and an N-Zap '89.

Kinda mediocre team comp, if Vintage were to say so out loud, but not the worst he'd seen.

After the first minute, Team New-Blood, currently composed of Vintage, Red Soles, Omega, and Octi, had managed to hold centre stage, even with Team Hockey using their coveted '4DS' formation. For those not in the know, the 4DS stands for 'The Four of us are Deadly Shots', and is best described as a more offence based take on the X-Guard that Team X-Blood use, just with a tacky name.

“Looks like we're good up here,” Vintage muttered. “Let's push this offensive.”

The three girls pressed on, while Vintage held back a few paces (as is usual for a Ballpoint main). He was noticing that Octi was really coming into her own, now. There was still slight hesitation in her movements, but they were gradually becoming more natural. Familiar, perhaps. He really couldn't help but smile at her progress. Was this what it was like to be proud of the achievements of another? Vintage thought he could get use to this feeling.

Were he not so distracted with the feeling of pride in another, he might have been able to react and counter the dual Splashdowns that came careening his way.

* * *

  
  


“Vintage got got?” Red Soles exclaimed.

“I hate how that's a proper sentence,” Omega muttered. “You two hold here, I'm going to claim centre back.”

Once Omega was out of range, though, the remaining two members of Team Hockey got the jump on Red Soles and Octi, forcing them to scatter a bit. Made worse by the fact that they broke out their specials as well; the Curling Bomb Launcher and Tenta Missiles.

“Aw crap!” Red Soles cursed. “Get to cover!”

Octi dived under the steel grating, around enough of a corner that the Curling Bombs wouldn't quite reach her. When the explosions finally went off, though...

“ _Hold on!” her CO shouted._

“ _Commander, what's going on?!” Octi asked, gripping the nearest poll as the world around her shook uncontrollably._

“ _The worst thing our kind could suffer through...”_

_Metal girding slammed into the ground around the currently ten year old Octi._

Missiles rained down and stuck just above the currently twenty-one year old Octi.

“ _The dome is dropping.”_

At that moment, Octi found that the world faded away.

* * *

  
  


Omega and Red Soles made quick work of their entire team, before noticing that Octi was strangely absent.

“Something's wrong,” Omega muttered. “She hasn't been splatted, so where is she?”

Red Soles checked the map quickly. “Over there, by the grating!” she pointed. “Must'a used them for cover.”

“A sound strategy, to be sure,” Omega commented. As they turned the needed corner, however, admiration turned into fear, when they found Octi unconscious on the ground.

Red Soles quickly dropped her Bloblobber, and rushed to Octi's side. “Octi! What happened?” she shouted. No response. Just a faintly glazed expression.

Omega tried to look at this from a subjective standpoint. Not that easy, given the situation. “I think... this might be a PTSD reaction,” she theories. “Octi, if you can still hear me, please say something.” No reaction. “Okay. Yeah, this is bad.”

“No shit!” Red Soles shouted. “What the heck are we suppose to do?”

“First off, you need to calm down,” Omega said. “Panicking like this will get us nowhere.”

“HOW CAN I REMAIN CALM AT A TIME LIKE THIS?”

“By taking a deep breath, first of all,” Vintage stated, finally catching up. “The rounds over, at least. So start by breathing.”

Rather than that, Red Soles made what could only be described as 'ineligible gabbering'. For those curious, 'gabbering' isn't actually a word, and more a corruption of 'yabbering'.

“Double Egg! Get down here!” Vintage called to the audience stands.

“Way ahead of ya!” he responded, landing besides Vintage. “What we doing, boss?”

“We should get her someplace safe,” Omega stated. “We'll go with our apartment. At the very least, it's not too far.”

Vintage and Double Egg lifter Octi up by one arm each, in the classic 'arms over shoulders' carrying method, and led the way from the stage. As Omega took a step to follow them, she her a particular splashing sound from her feet. She looked down, and noticed a puddle that was distinctly neither ink or water.

“Oh crap basket,” she muttered.

* * *

  
  


When they finally made it to their apartment, Vintage and Double Egg slumped into the couch, as Omega and Red Soles took Octi towards the bathroom, saying that they wanted to at least clean her up.

At this point, Vintage really wished he didn't know what Omega meant.

The only thing they had to do was watch Octi's phone, in case someone inevitably called.

“What a day,” Double Egg muttered. “Really wonder what happened to cause that.”

“We can guess the thing that triggered it,” Vintage replied, “but not the events of her past. We're not time travellers, unfortunately.”

“We did pick that side of the Splat Fest, though.”

The phone rang. The duo slowly hovered over the screen to see who was calling. The ID was labelled 'Basic'.

“Hey, wasn't that that one kid who absolutely destroyed us?” Double Egg asked.

“Yup,” Vintage replied. He briefly wondered what the kids relation to Octi was, before picking up the phone and answering it. “Hello.”

“Who are you?” came the answer. “What have you done with my sister?”

Well, one question answered, at least. “She's safe, I assure you,” Vintage replied calmly. “There was an incident, and she passed out. We're currently at our apartment, just off of the Underpass. If you want, I can at least meet you nearby.”

“If you've done anything bad to her,” Basic said, “and I do mean anything, there will be hell to pay.”

The phone was hung up, and Vintage let out a breath he didn't realise he was holding.

“Was that...” Double Egg hesitated, “really the same kid?”

“He cares about his family,” Vintage said. “It's quite admirable. I'll head out to meet him. Tell the others if they finish before I'm back.”

* * *

  
  


Urchin Underpass at 7:24 PM was a rather cold place. Double so after it stopped being used for Splat Battles.

Vintage stood under a corner street light, watching passer-bys for Basic.

How was he going to explain himself? All things considered, Basic probably didn't have a high opinion on Team X-Blood, and considering how he reacted on the phone, Vintage wouldn't be too surprised if he were to be held at gun point.

The piece of metal now being placed against the back of his head only served to confirm that thought.

“I suggest you turn around slowly, buddy,” a womans voice said. “Wouldn't want any 'missteps' now, would we?”

Vintage did as instructed, and was face to face with a woman with the same type of tentacles as Octi, parted more to her right side, dressed in the Studio Octophones, Annaki Evolution Tee, and Arrow Pull-Ons. He recognised this person. “If I recall, you're Ahato Mizuta, correct?”

“So you remember me,” Ahato commented. “I'm flattered, truly.”

Vintage took a glace to Ahato's sides, and noticed two more people. One was a girl with her tentacles in a pony tail, dressed in the Annaki Beret, Enchanted Robe, and Black Trainers, while the other was a male with the same hairdo as himself, dressed in the Blowfish Newsie, Basic Tee, and Blue Moto Boots. “Basic. Moni,” Vintage said plainly, naming the two.

“I knew it was you, Vintage,” Basic replied. “Now, where's Octi?”

“Our apartment's a block from here,” he answered. “Follow me.” He decided not to comment on the fact that they still had an E-litre pointed at the back of his head. “I take it you knew Octi was going to participate in Turf Wars?”

“She told me about it this morning,” Basic responded, “but when she didn't come home, of course I'd be worried.”

_'I see,'_ Vintage thought. _'I'm glad, at the very least.'_ “Well, to make a long story short, we've been helping with showing her the ropes.”

“You? Of all people?” Moni asked incredulously. “Somehow, that's a bit hard to believe.”

Guess he was in the bad books of the former leader of Team Old-School Literature as well. “Believe it or not, but facts are facts. Things were actually going well, until an onslaught of Curling Bombs and Tenta Missiles caused what we think was a PTSD reaction.”

There was the sound of slightly moving metal, and the E-litre was removed from the back of his head. “And you're sure about that?” Basic asked.

“As much as we can be,” Vintage replied. “Considering we know little about what she's been through in the past, this is all we can say.” They stopped before the door to the apartment. “This is the place. I'd say 'try not to make a mess', but house keeping's subpar as it is, so whatever.”

As they stepped inside, Vintage took note of the changes that had gone on. First off, Octi had been lain out on the couch with a blanket over her. Secondly, Red Soles was keeping close to her, while Double Egg had moved to the counter, and Omega to the far arm of the couch.

Vintage was once again thankful that Basic chose prioritising his sister above anything else, when he bolted from behind him to her side, even if it meant Red Soles got pushed out of the way.

“Wow, you weren't kidding,” Omega commented. “Although, I wasn't expecting this much of a crowd.”

“Well, sorry if our concern is inconvenient for you,” Ahato replied sarcastically.

“Easy, Ahato,” Moni scolded. “They're just as concerned as we are, even if we have our doubts about it.”

A small groan escaped Octi's lips, drawing all attention. “Octi, can you hear us?” Basic spoke softly.

Octi slowly opened her eyes, before bolting upright with a small scream, sweating profusely. “Octi, it's alright!” Basic said a bit louder. “You're fine!”

Octi's voice died down, as she took a glance around the room. Before anyone could add anything to any sort of conversation, Octi latched onto Basic, and began sobbing.

* * *

  
  


It took roughly an hour before things calmed down once again. Once again, the seating order had been redone in order to accommodate a total of eight people. Octi was seated in the centre of the couch, with Basic on her right, with his hand on hers, and Red Soles taking up her left, arms wrapped around the Octoling. Double Egg and Omega had taken to the spot by the kitchenette, Vintage by the lone bookshelf by the window, while Ahato and Moni had taken up spots by the hall leading to the front door, mainly because there wasn't any other room for them to take.

“Octi, are you feeling a bit better?” Basic asked.

Octi nodded. “A... a little, I think. I'm... sorry you had to see all that.”

“It's fine, really,” Vintage replied. “I won't ask you to tell us what happened back... whenever, but...”

“No. I...” Octi hesitated, taking a shaky breath. “I need to say it. I can't... keep this baggage bottled up.”

“Are you sure?” Basic asked. “I mean, if it's too much...”

Octi shook her head. “No. No more running.”

Octi took another, shaky breath, before continuing. “I suppose... I'll start with the obvious, for Vintage and the others; I'm... not an Inkling.”

Omega raised a brow at the statement. “Seriously? Then what are you?”

“Octolings,” Ahato answered in her place. “Me, her, and Moni here are Octolings.”

“Octolings?” Vintage parroted, sharing in the surprise of the rest of his team. “That's... certainly something. I thought your kind was forced underground 100 years ago.”

“We were,” Octi answered. “That's... a different story, though.” She took notice of the fact that, despite the surprise, Red Soles' hug only grew tighter. “While most Octolings only started migrating surface-side two years ago, I've been here for the past eleven; since I was ten.”

“Jeez,” Double Egg muttered. “What the hell happened that made you leave home?”

“It... wasn't a choice.”

* * *

  
  


“In Octarian society, anyone old enough to carry a weapon is put into training camps, prepared for the 'inevitable' second Great Turf War. As it so happened, I was put into the same squad as Ahato and Number 2084; the one now known as Deej. Unlike those two, however, I was... a hindrance. I couldn't do anything right. I was a terrible shot, an awful cook, I couldn't do laundry, sort files, anything. I was... an absolute failure.

“But, there was a small blessing in that. Anyone deemed a 'failure' is usually shipped off to one of the 'Far-Domes'. Domes are... where we live. They're giant habitats powered by electricity, in order to sustain our species. Getting shipped to a Far-Dome is basically being put on permanent vacation. Can't just waste people that might have skills elsewhere, after all.

“While I was stationed there, there were two other Octolings I ended up growing closer to; my commander, a woman by the name of Cruise Crusher, and a five year old girl named Sami. Commander Cruise was... she was the best, really. A big, muscular woman who was more than happy to let you sit on her biceps. In fact, I've seen her bend Sardinium.” That part got quite the sputtered reaction out of everyone present. Sardinium was considered to be the toughest metal they had, after all. “And Sami was... just... absolutely adorable. Always doing everything with this bright smile on her face. Those two... they were like a family.” The bright smile she had while recounting those days faded. “Then... the power went out.”

A bead of sweat rolled down Vintage's forehead. “Please, tell me that was only a temporary thing,” he said quietly, knowing deep down that there was a greater danger from it.

Octi shook her head. “When the electricity of a Dome runs out, it... drops.”

Red Soles let out a small, squeaking sound. “That's... that's just a metaphor, right?” she asked hesitantly. “Like... like how saying someone's a night owl, right?”

“Domes are held up over a vast chasm by three hydraulic claws,” Moni said quietly. “The only way to safely power them is with three Zapfish; a resource we don't have access to down below.”

“Our only sources of electricity are hard to come by, and largely inefficient,” Ahato added. “When the power goes out, then the Dome falls into the abyss. No one really knows how deep it is.”

Octi began to tremble, ever so slightly. “Before it, there were roughly 5000 Octarians living in that dome. After... only five survived.” A multitude of reactions took place: Basic tightened his grip on her hand. Red Soles buried herself into Octi's side, biting back tears. Vintage slid down the wall he was leaning against, and was now sat on the floor, looking pale. Both Ahato and Moni had pained expressions, understanding too well that pain. Omega and Double Egg had to prop themselves on the nearest horizontal surfaces they could find, that being the bookshelf and counter-top. “Among those survivors were myself, the commander, Sami, and two other soldiers. We were... trapped down there for several months. Food supplies were basically none-existent at that point. We...” she tried -and failed- to bite back a sob, “we had to make do with what was around.”

Vintage found his hand had quickly gone up to cover his mouth without him realising it. “What... does that...”

“We... we didn't...” Octi became choked up at this point. “We didn't have a choice... To survive we... we had to...” She couldn't quite say the words, but then again, she didn't really have to. They pieced together what she was implying. There were five of them, and just under 5000 corpses. They had to eat _something_ , and there was quite a few somethings to eat.

“That's why... you don't like meat,” Omega realised, to great horror.

Octi nodded sadly. “Where the Dome landed was... a small opening that led out to sea. Our plan was to put together a boat, and maybe, just maybe, make it to shore. Everything was going well, until... the Salmonids showed up.” A wave of terror washed over the room. Everyone knew the sort of destruction that Salmonids caused. “We... ended up getting split up. Commander Cruise took Sami, and tried to find another way out, while myself and the others tried to take the boat. I... don't know what happened to the commander or Sami, but... but the others... they...” Octi choked on her words once again. “The Salmonids... they use living beings as... as vessels to plant eggs in. When they hatch they... they eat their way out, while the host is...”

There was the sound of a slamming door. It took a moment for others to register that Vintage had left the room, and was now throwing up in the toilet. Couldn't exactly blame him, really. After all, unsaid words paint the most unpleasant pictures.

“That's... Oh Cod,” Basic muttered. “Octi, I...”

“I was alone at sea for months,” Octi continued. “Alone, with nothing but the image of people being cut open, and having eggs placed inside of them. I...” her sobbing became more apparent. “I'm... barely even a person after that. I can... barely even do anything. I'm...”

“Stop,” Red Soles whispered. “Please, just... no more. You've... you've been through enough.” It was rather evident that she was sobbing into Octi's side. “Please... please don't say that... about yourself.”

“Crap, I knew it was gonna be bad, but...” Ahato muttered. “Shit. I knew I should have pushed for more search parties back then. No one deserves to go through shit like that.”

“I don't... I...” Octi's voice broke up between sobs. “I don't know if I... can keep going on like this. I'm an... an absolute mess. I don't...”

“Don't,” Basic cut off. “Please don't say it. Don't say you don't think you can go on. Yes, the pain is great, and maybe we can't do anything about it, but... but that doesn't change the fact that you're here.” He stood up from the couch, making sure not to let go of her hand. “No matter what happened, you are still my sister, and I would not give you up for the world. If keeping you with me, with us, means having to fight the entire world, then I'd do that in a heart beat.”

“Basic...” Octi muttered.

“I'm not sure how we can make the pain go away,” Basic continued, “but whatever we have to do, we'll do it.”

“Damn right we will,” Ahato punched her own hand. “This is the sort of thing that should have been tackled long ago. As Octavio's daughter, I'm ashamed that I didn't do more sooner.”

“They're right!” Red Soles called out. “You're... you're worth the effort! We don't want to lose you! Not after... after we just got to know you!”

“Red Soles...” Octi said softly. It was all so... overwhelming, to be honest. She didn't want to just... stop making progress. “It's just... so hard.”

“Yeah, it is,” Moni said softly. “We've all been down the hard road, in a way. But, despite how bad it got, we were still pulled out of it.” She smiled kindly to her fellow Octoling. “So, even if it's a long, rough road, we'll walk it with you.”

It was this point that Octi allowed suppressed sobs to break free into full crying, holding Basic and Red Soles close.

It wasn't much, but it was a step forward.

* * *

  
  


Morning came, and among all eight people in the apartment, only Vintage was the one to not get any sleep. Not to say the others were sleeping soundly, mind you, but at least they were getting somewhere.

Vintage wasn't one to openly express emotions well. In fact, it was only within the past week and a bit that he had started showing feelings that meant more than 'contempt'. A small part of him was kind of missing those times, only it was also overshadowed by overwhelming empathy.

Right now, Octi, Basic, and Red Soles were huddled under a blanket on the couch, Double Egg and Omega were taking up one room (and opposite ends of it, at that), and Ahato and Moni had taken the other. Vintage _was_ going to share the room with Double Egg and Omega, but considering he was rather restless, that went nowhere.

Over the past many hours, Vintage sat in the kitchenette and pondered some ideas. Some of which could only go further with discussion with the others, but one, he felt, might have some small merit.

He took out his phone, and began typing a name into Squidder (one of the popular social medias in Inkling society, up their with the likes of Beakbook, Inkstagram, and the positively ancient MySea). It was a long shot to end all long shots, but he was the one on his team with the Ballpoint Splatling, so that was right up his alley.

To his surprise, though, he got a hit. One, singular hit. It was an odd name, after all. Added to that, the picture of the person matched what little he knew about them.

He sent a message to them, and to his surprise, got one back within a minute.

He gave a tired smile. Things might work out for the best.

* * *

  
  


“You want me to team with Basic today?” Octi asked.

“Why not?” Vintage responded. “You've more ties to them, and this way, you can be part of a more permanent team, rather than subbing for one of us.”

“You sure that's the only reason?” Omega asked.

“Look, I'm dead tired okay? I'm pretty sure we all are,” Vintage shot back. “As things stand, the four of us would be rather sizeable liabilities. Let's just... think of this as a chance to see what you're capable of without us.”

“And what, you think we're no better than you on the turf?” Ahato asked incredulously. “Need I remind you who kicked your asses?”

“There's no need for that,” Vintage responded. “Just... think of it as a final test. See how you perform on a team you've not been on before.”

“Despite the fact that she knows all of us,” Basic added. “Still, I quite like the idea.”

“We'd have to be pretty stupid to not like it,” Moni added. “So, what do you say, Octi?”

Octi hesitated for a brief moment, before giving a determined nod. “Alright. Let's do this.”

“Hell yeah!” Ahato shouted. “Now, what do we name ourselves, and what ink colour do we use?”

“I'm thinking something along the lines of cobalt,” Basic answered. “As for name... Octo Bolt?”

“Oh, electrifying,” Ahato commented. “I like it.”

“It does have a rather nice ring to it,” Moni added. “Although, you'd be the only Inkling on the team.”

“Like that's a bad thing,” Basic replied. “Many teams only have a single Octoling on them, so what's the deal if the shoes on the other foot?”

“This is nice and all,” Vintage cut in, “but the next match is about to start. If you want to get in, then get going already.”

* * *

  
  


Barely a few moments later, the newly christened Team Octo Bolt were at Blackbelly Skate Park, and somewhat wishing they had held off just a few seconds longer. After all, they were going up against some particularly familiar cephalopods.

First off was a Squeezer user, an Inkling boy dressed in the Old Timey Hat, SRL Lab Coat, and Neo Octoling Boots, followed by an Octoling girl with a Flingza Roller, with the Golden Hairpin, White Inky Rider, and Hero Runner Replicas, An Octoling boy with the Glooga Dualies Deco, Hero Headphones Repica, Anchor Life Vest, and Angry Rain Boots, and finally, an Inkling girl with a Bloblobber, Octo Glasses, Hero Jacket Replica, and Hero Snowboots Replica.

As if their loadout wasn't enough, their ink colour of choice was an all too familiar magenta.

“Just our luck,” Ahato muttered in amusement. “Our first outing as a team, and who do we find but our good ol' Bangaichi?”

“It's certainly a surprise,” the Squeezer holding Inkling, Timey, said. “Doubly so to see you out here, Octi.”

“W... well, it's... a work in progress,” Octi muttered, blushing a slight bit.

Unfortunately for her, this did not go unnoticed with Deej, the Dualies user. “Oh? Does our dear Octi have a crush on someone?”

The sudden increase in luminescence did nothing to suggest otherwise.

“Looks like someone's becoming popular with the ladies,” the Roller wielder, Kashimi, commented. “That would be what, the fifth person in the span of the past few days?”

Timey pulled the brim of his hat down, trying to mask his own blush. “Can we please just drop that?” he asked. “It's bad enough that it gets in the way of matches.”

“Aw, looks like someone's being bashful,” the remaining Inkling, Shades, said. “You do realise that we do this specifically for those reactions, right?”

“I'm sure he does,” Moni chuckled. “After all, he does still feed into them.”

“Well, that's our Hero for ya,” Ahato added. “So, Love. You think you guys can beat us with minimal range?”

“There's no 'think' about it,” Kashimi responded. “We've managed to work out some new strategies that might give you a run for your money.”

Now content with their interactions, both teams moved to their spawn points, and awaited the buzzer.

* * *

  
  


On a small park bench not far from the Skate Park, Vintage sat and waited. His team didn't know who or what he was waiting for, but here he was.

He checked the time. One minute until the Octo Bolt's match started. Plenty of time, in his opinion.

A large shadow loomed behind him. Vintage was a little too tired to be startled though. “Took you a while,” he said. “I honestly expected you to show up half an hour ago.”

“Hey, you try walking around when you're eight feet tall,” the figure -female- responded. “Besides, you were rather vague about things. Couldn't be sure if it was a trap or not.”

“A guy my size? Trying to set a trap for someone as large as you? I'd have to be an idiot,” Vintage chuckled drily. “No. I asked you here because I needed to confirm if you were the same person as the one I heard about last night.”

“And who, might I ask, told you about me?”

In response, Vintage pulled his phone out, and opened an image. “Tell me, does this girl look familiar to you?”

The woman leaned closer to look, and Vintage took his first real look at her. She was, as expected, an absolute behemoth of an individual, and since Vintage now knew what features to look for, he could confirm that she was also an Octoling. Her dark eyes lit up in recognition. “That's... but I thought she...”

“She thought the same about you, you know,” Vintage replied. “Same with your 'daughter' as well.”

“Well I'll be damned,” she muttered. “Does she... know we're still around?”

“Thought I'd make it a surprise,” Vintage said. “Right now, I'm the only one in the know.”

“I see.” There was a slight pause. “How's she doing, anyway? I take it you're her friend.”

“It's a mixed bag, I guess. That day eleven years ago left quite a few scars on her, so to speak. We only learnt about them yesterday. She does have a brother, though. Kid by the name of Basic. They're taking part in the next Turf War at the Skate Park, if you're interested.”

* * *

  
  


It was the first minute into the match, and Octi could, with all honesty, say she was having a blast.

Sure, they were currently being pushed back, and sure, none of her team had managed a splat against Team Bangaichi, but it was honestly still a lot of fun. The synergy that both teams were showing was... just the best.

Ahato had a small grin, as she lined up a shot on Timey. “Try not to blink, Hero,” she muttered.

Timey, however, had accounted for that. All of his team did. The second the shot was fired, the rest of his team had convened, and they all threw out their Sub weapons; the Splash Wall.

The shot was stopped dead, and Timey responded by pulling out the Sting Ray.

Under normal circumstances, the Sting Ray would be an easy thing to avoid. Doubly so when he wasn't all that far away. Considering the rest of Bangaichi had popped their Specials, though; being the Splat Bomb Launcher, Ink Storm, and Baller, things were incredibly harder to dodge.

Basic managed to slip behind the onslaught, however, and unleashed fire with his weapon; the H3 Nozzlenose D. It wasn't enough to get a splat, but it did break their formation, if only barely.

They may have been on the back foot, but Team Octo Bolt was certainly making Bangaichi work for their win.

* * *

  
  


The match finally ended, and to the surprise of absolutely no one, Bangaichi emerged victorious. By a single point, at that.

What was surprising, though, was that Octi did the best out of both teams, in both splats and points. Amazing what a little confidence can do for a person.

During the post battle banter between the two teams + three members of Team X-Blood, Vintage finally showed up again.

“Well, look who it is!” Deej exclaimed. “What took you so long?”

Vintage gave the Octoling a slight glare. “Why am I not surprise they went up against you lot?”

“What can we say? Small world,” Timey replied. “Basic said that you helped show Octi the ropes. Kind of surprising, considering.”

Vintage gave a shrug. “What can I say? Lessons were learnt. By the way, Octi? Heads up.”

“For wha...” She could barely get the words out before a pair of large arms wrapped themselves around her. Now, when we say 'large arms', we're not just talking 'larger than the average bicep'. We're talking HUGE. Like, they were as wide as Octi's torso, and as thick as a moderately sized tree trunk.

“Well, I'll be damned! It is you!” a boisterous womans voice said. “That kid wasn't lying after all!”

Octi felt an overwhelming amount of... things, she supposed. First of all was the sudden and blatant violation of personal space that just happened, but that was quickly overruled by surprise and confusion at the strangely familiar voice. “Eh? What? What's going on?” she asked in bewilderment, trying to crane her head back to see the person behind her. Not too hard, considering this individual was ridiculously large. What she saw was a pair of dark, deep set eyes, an Octoling tentacle style kept military short, coloured the standard magenta that Octarians (and Bangaichi, by extent) were fond of, and a big, friendly smile, and an attire consisting of the Hickory Work Cap, Anchor Sweat, and Custom Trail Boots. Realisation lit up in Octi's eyes. “Co... Commander Crusher? Is that...”

“Damn right it's me!” Commander Cruise Crusher said. “Cod, I can't believe you're still alive, kiddo! How ya been?”

“Ah... I, er...” Octi wasn't exactly sure where to begin. Mostly because she felt herself once again on the verge of tears. “How... how did you...”

“Survive eleven years ago? I'll tell ya, it wasn't easy,” Cruise responded. “Good thing Salmonids suck at climbing, huh? Had to climb sheer cliff faces for days on end until I got us safely out of there.”

“'We'?” Octi repeated slowly. “Then... does that mean...”

“You bet! In fact,” Cruise looked of into the distance, “I can see here from here. Hey! Sami! Look who I found!”

Octi looked off in the same direction. She saw a rather bewildered looking Octoling with bright green eyes and long tentacles, dressed in the Short Beanie, Annaki Polpo-Pic Tee, and Neon Delta Straps. “Sis?” the Octoling asked. “Is that actually you?”

“Sami?” Octi questioned. “You... you're both...”

And so, for what may have very well been the third time in the span of twenty-four hours, the dams broke.

* * *

  
  


From the 'sidelines' everyone else watched the reunion with warm smiles.

“So, that's what you've been doing?” Omega asked. “I'm surprised you knew her old Commander was around.”

“I didn't,” Vintage responded. “I just took a stab in the dark. Besides, a name like Cruise Crusher would stand out anywhere.”

“And you went on a wild goose chase anyway?” Timey noted. “Have to say, Vintage, I'm impressed.”

“I didn't do it to impress anyone,” Vintage shot back. “I did it because, as I've noticed with your circle of friends, good things and happy endings tend to work out.”

“You say that like we're magnets of positivity,” Timey pointed out. “Really, we're just people who put in the effort to make it happen.”

“How modest of you.” Vintage turned his attention to everyone else. “Seems Red Soles is getting rather choked up about it, though.”

“Must be really fond of Octi,” Timey said. “You have good friend, Vintage.”

Vintage let out a small chuckle. “Who doesn't, at this point?” He turned his attention to Basic. “And what are you doing, standing around like that?” He gave him a shove. “Get over there, kid.”

Basic stumbled forward, stopping just in front of the trio of Octolings. “Ah, so you're the brother!” Cruise Crusher stated loudly, wrapping Basic in a head lock. “Ta think our kinds use ta be enemies! How ya doing?”

“It's... been an experience, really,” Basic croaked out. “I'm kinda surprised you're taking this well, ma'am.”

“You kidding? This basically means a bigger family! What's not to love?”

“I'm with mother on that one,” the Octoling known as Sami added. “It's nice to meet you, Mr Basic.”

“Please, just call me Basic,” he responded. “I'm pretty sure you're older than me.”

From the distance, Ahato shouted “Basic's the baby of the group!”

“Not helping anyone there, Ahato!” Basic shouted back.

“And you're friends with the princess, too? Ha ha! You're gonna be going places, kid!”

This was certainly an odd scenario to find himself in, but not an unwelcome one.

* * *

  
  


Several days passed, and to say that family life for Basic and Octi's family was now chaotic was like saying... actually, there's probably not a simile around that could really convey just how chaotic their family life was now.

“Come on, Basic! Time's wasting!” Octi shouted from outside the house.

“I'll be right there!” Basic shouted back.

Change number one: Octi had managed to become more outgoing. Sure, she still had a few moments where she second guesses herself, and gets quite bashful around Timey (no one really comments on that), but all in all, it was a welcome change.

Change number two: Commander Cruise Crusher (she did insist on being called by name, but no matter how many times she said so, everyone felt as if 'Commander' was a natural part of the name; it would not be complete without it) and Sami had moved in with them. Basic's parents were out of town most of the time, so he had to notify them about it over the phone. They were... well, ecstatic wasn't quite a strong enough word to describe the sudden increase to their family. They were the 'glass half full' kind of squids.

On the topic of 'interesting interactions' though, Basic couldn't help but think about the conversation he and Commander Crusher had on the first night.

“ _Tell me, kid,” Crusher said, “what are the odds of you and Octi ever finding yourselves on opposite sides?”_

“ _Impossible,” he replied bluntly, not even bothering to ask where such a question came from._

Basic lifted pencil from paper, and looked over his work. It was a simple rough sketch at the moment, a group portrait of the extended family he had gained.

“ _No matter the circumstances?” Crusher asked. “Even if the side she was with wasn't one you agreed with philosophically?”_

“ _Not even then. Debating ideas and hypotheticals is one thing, but I'll never let it get between us,” he responded. “If I have to choose between Octi and some philosophical bull squid, then I'm choosing Octi, every time.”_

_Crusher allowed herself a grin. “Alright, then. You pass the test.”_

Basic felt he understood why she did that. Who wouldn't worry about someone they love?

Basic meant what he said then. If it was to help Octi, he would do whatever he had to.

...Probably have to find some alternatives, so that he didn't end up sacrificing his friendships. He would rather not throw them to the wind, if he could help it.

Still, at least things were looking rather well. Carefully, he put the drawing down, grabbed his ink tank, and headed out the door.

It was a brand new day, after all. And with new days, come new steps forward.

**Author's Note:**

> Hoo boy. That was a roller-coaster in its own right.  
> So, here we are, with Octi now fully established. Like with Basic, another background character that went and branched out into her own thing. I love it when that happens.  
> Also, shoutout to the inclusion of Team X-Blood, and making them good guys. Now we just wait for more chapters of the manga to come out, and cause their portrayal here to age terribly. Aw well, it'll be funny, and this ain't manga canon, so there.  
> Now, since this came out after The Splatocalypse Cometh, let me clear some things up. First off, the only ones actually set on what team they're on are the main four of Bangaichi. While the narration does lend itself to the idea that Ahato and Basic would join Chaos, at the very least, Basic would turn down that choice to side with Octi.  
> Bit of a cop out? Maybe, but I'm the one making the rules here.  
> … That sounded a bit too rude, didn't it?  
> Well, as I'm writing this, the Final Splat Fest has already ended. Congrats to Team Chaos, and I'll see y'all later.  
> Allons'y!
> 
> Inkling Almanac:
> 
> Octi (F):  
> Weapon: Splattershot Jr.  
> Headgear: Full Moon Glasses.  
> Body: Icewave Tee.  
> Shoes: Friendship Bracelet.  
> Notes about gear: The Friendship Bracelet is for the sole fact that she refuses to wear normal shoes anymore.  
> Notes about character: Carries the most emotional baggage.
> 
> Basic (M):  
> Weapon: H3 Nozzlenose D.  
> Headgear: Blowfish Newsie.  
> Body: Basic Tee.  
> Shoes: Blue Moto Boots.  
> Notes about gear: He picked the Blowfish Newsie because of fond memories of Squidlock Holmes.  
> Notes about character: Cares greatly about many things. His list of priorities is: 1, his sister. 2, his friends. 3, his morals. 4, his art. 5, everything else.
> 
> Ahato Mizuta (F) (Dedf1sh):  
> Weapon: E-litre 4K.  
> Headgear: Studio Octophones.  
> Body: Annaki Evolution Tee.  
> Shoes: Arrow Pull-Ons.  
> Notes about gear: Kashimi chose this gear for her.  
> Notes about character: Most Inklings don't know she's actually a princess (on account of most of them not knowing she's an Octoling), and she really prefers it that way.
> 
> Moni (F):  
> Weapon: Hydra Splatling.  
> Headgear: Annaki Beret.  
> Body: Enchanted Robe.  
> Shoes: Black Trainers.  
> Notes about gear: The robe was a gift from Shades before their first 'break up'. She never let go of it, and now that they're back together (plus Marie), she never will.  
> Notes about character: Has a bad habit of getting attached to things, and being unable to let go (her beret was the first piece of gear she bought when she came surface-side).
> 
> And for added fun... let's attach songs to the characters!
> 
> Team Bangaichi: We are Bangaichi feat. Sachio (Megalo Box)  
> Timey: I'm Still Standing – Elton John  
> Shades: Light Your Heart up – Aimee Blackshleger  
> Kashimi: What's Up Danger – Blackway and Black Caviar  
> Deej: Unknown from M.E. (SA2 Version) – Marlon Saunders and Hunnid-P  
> Team Octo Bolt: flyaway – Back-On  
> Basic: Fist Bump – Sonic Forces  
> Octi: Endless Tears – CLIFF EDGE  
> Ahato: [Catalog Mix] – Dedf1sh  
> Moni: Meaning – Nishizawa Shiena


End file.
